< Ezekiel 31 >

1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
It happened in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, say unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to his multitude, Unto whom art thou like in thy arrogance?
"Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude: 'Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon beautiful in its boughs, and a shadowing thicket, and high in stature; and among the thick-boughed trees was its highest branch.
Look, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs.
4 The waters made it great, the deep made it high, with its rivers it was flowing round the place where it was planted, and its ditches it sent forth unto all the trees of the field.
The waters nourished it, the deep made it to grow: its rivers ran all around its plantation; and it sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5 Therefore became its stature higher than all the trees of the field, and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when it stretched itself forth.
Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it shot them forth.
6 In its boughs made all the fowls of heaven their nest, and under its branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under its shade dwelt all great nations.
All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches all the animals of the field brought forth their young; and all great nations lived under its shadow.
7 And it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its light branches; for its root was by many waters.
Thus was it beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters.
8 The cedars could not obscure it in the garden of God; the firs were not like its boughs, and the chestnut-trees were not like its branches: not any tree in the garden of God was like unto it in its beauty.
The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; the fir trees were not like its boughs, and the plane trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty.
9 Beautiful had I made it by the multitude of its light branches: so that all the trees of 'Eden that were in the garden of God, envied it.
I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.'
10 Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Because thou wast so high in stature, and it had placed its highest branch between the thick-boughed trees, and its heart was lifted up through its height:
"Therefore thus said the LORD: 'Because you are exalted in stature, and he has set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
11 Therefore do I give it up into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with it at his pleasure; for its wickedness do I drive it out.
I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out for his wickedness.
12 And strangers, the fiercest of nations, cut it down, and cast it to the ground: on the mountains and in all the valleys fall its light branches, and its boughs are [lying] broken in all the ravines of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone away from its shade, and have cast it to the ground.
Strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: on the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
13 Upon its fallen fragments dwell all the fowls of the heaven, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field:
On his ruin all the birds of the sky shall dwell, and all the animals of the field shall be on his branches;
14 In order that none of all the trees by the waters shall exalt themselves for their height, nor place their highest branch among the thick-boughed trees, and that all those that are nourished by water shall not place themselves erect, because of their height; for they are all given up unto death, to the land of the nether world, in the midst of the children of men, with those that go down to the pit.
to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs, nor that their mighty ones stand up on their height, even all who drink water: for they are all delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, among human beings who go down to the pit.'
15 Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, On the day when it went down to the grave I caused a mourning; I covered the deep for its sake, and I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were withheld; and I caused Lebanon to be clothed in black attire for its sake, and all the trees of the field were famished because of it. (Sheol h7585)
"Thus says the LORD: 'In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers; and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. (Sheol h7585)
16 Through the noise of its downfall I caused nations to quake, when I cast it down into the tomb with the [others] that descend into the pit: and in the land of the nether world comforted themselves all the trees of 'Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that were nourished by water. (Sheol h7585)
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth. (Sheol h7585)
17 They also went down with it into the tomb unto those that were slain with the sword, and its helpers that had dwelt under its shade in the midst of the nations. (Sheol h7585)
They also went down into Sheol with him to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were his arm, that lived under his shadow in the midst of the nations. (Sheol h7585)
18 To whom art thou then like in glory and in greatness among the trees of 'Eden? And thou too shalt be brought down with the trees of 'Eden unto the land of the nether world: in the midst of the uncircumcised shalt thou lie with those slain by the sword; yes, he, Pharaoh, and all his multitude, saith the Lord Eternal.
To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth: you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,' says the LORD."

< Ezekiel 31 >